Forest Spirits [Completed]

Sparking Memories

^~Third Person~^

Viridian eyes fluttered open, staring up at an open sky. The sun shone down softly against his skin, allowing warmth to flow through his body. Rising slowly and steadily, Izuku glanced around at his surroundings. He sat in an open field, long grass hiding him from the rest of the world. He rubbed at his eyes, unsure of where he was. He reached up to his head, expecting to feel horns or ears, but found nothing. Panic soon flooded his body, causing him to rapidly stand up. He frantically searched around, stumbling left and right as he did so. A light and fluttery voice filled his ears, notifying that he wasn't a spirit, nor was he alone.

"W-who's there? Where are you? Where am I? What have you done to me?" Question after question tumbled from his lips as he turned swiftly from side to side, trying to pinpoint where the voice came from.

"Do not fret, young one. There is no need to panic."

"How can I trust you?! Tell me! What have you done to me? I'm not dead... am I? Did I already fade away...?" His voice trailed off the more he thought, dark voices plaguing his mind as a collapsed to his knees, body shaking. "You're not here to take me away, are you?"

A soft laugh echoed around him. "Of course not. You are still alive. As I've said. There is no need to worry. I'm here to help you. Just as you have helped the forest grow."

"W-What do you mean? I'm trying to reconnect, but it's not working," Izuku murmured, clutching his arms as his eyes darted around the place in search of the voice's owner. "How can you help?"

He felt a sudden warm and soft hand against his forehead, though he saw nothing. His eyes began to grow heavy. Blinking again and again, Izuku tried to stay awake and fight the force pushing him back, but he couldn't. He fell back into the grassy terrain, cloaked in a vail of warmth and comfort as he fell asleep.

"You're time to connect is now. You just have to find the right path..."

~=~=~=~=~=~

Izuku sat up with a start, glancing around frantically before he realised he wasn't in the same place. He was in a house. His house. Standing up cautiously, Izuku listened intently to his surroundings, not use to the normal hearing of a normal human. Footsteps echoed ahead of him, as well as the sound of laughter. Izuku headed in the direction of the noise, finding himself and Aizawa running towards the front door.

"We'll be back soon!" Midoriya called out to his parents, waving to them as he and Aizawa left the house. "Come on! The others are probably waiting for us already. We have to hurry!"

"Then what are we waiting for? Let's go!" Aizawa declares, rushing ahead of the greenette who let out a startled yelp of surprise.

Izuku quietly followed after the two, already knowing how the meeting turned out. As he ran, the scenery switched to when he was alone in the forest, trying to find the hidden lake in the middle.

"Like I'm gonna go back empty handed. If Enji-san thinks I can't find this man, I'll prove him wrong," Midoriya muttered to himself, a look of determination in his eyes. He continued to run till he spotted the lake. Skidding to a halt, he crouched down beside it and peered in. Watching his reflection, he saw the shape of a person form in the reflection. He turned around, but found nothing. He suddenly flinched as he heard a twig snap behind him. Turning, he found a few deer staring at him. "Oh no..."

The deer charged forwards, antlers pointed towards him. He turned around and sprinted off, screaming as he did. The full moon lit the ground in front of him, though he had no way of telling if it was the best way to go. Not wanting to see more, Izuku turned away, but came face to face with the spirit he had seen in the reflection. He gasped silently, covering his mouth as he gazed at the spirit.

"I see you've come to reconnect, am I right?" Her soft voice flooded Izuku's ears. It took a moment before he rapidly started nodding. "It'll be a painful process. I'm already far to gone, but you aren't. If you wish to connect, you have to do it fast before you become like me forever."

"Is...is there really a way? Do you really know a way for me to connect?" Izuku's voice was quiet, wavering slightly, as he asked.

The spirit nodded, arms crossed firmly over her chest as she glanced away towards the ocean. "The first step is the hardest, and most painful. You have to be able to grab hold of your body and try and force your spirit into it. As you do that, try to force yourself into your body's mind. If you can force the eyes open through only your spirit and mind, it's basically smooth sailing from there. You'll still feel pain, but it'll be sensed. Once you opened the eyes, even a little bit, try to move the arms to grab back and pull you in. I hope that works for ya."

The spirit turned to leave, but halted when she felt a hand on his shoulder. Turning around, her eyes met Izuku's. "Thank you, so much. Is there anything I could do for you?"

"There's nothing you can do for me now. I'm long gone. I'll just wonder these woods for the rest of my existence until I fade away. I doubt we'll ever meet again. So, just do me this justice of returning to your body. It'd be a relief to be able to help someone while past the grave. So please. Take my advice. That'd be enough for me."

She walked backwards, a soft, sad smile present on her face as she began to turn.

"Wait! What's your name?" Izuku called out, reaching out slightly.

The spirit glanced up, a light laugh leaving her throat as she replied before vanishing into the darkness. "Nana Shimura. It was nice meeting you, Izuku..."